News and Trends 26 Jun 2020 CSL Behring Nabs UniQure’s Hemophilia Gene Therapy for up to €1.8B Big pharma CSL Behring will pay the Dutch gene therapy developer uniQure an upfront of €400M for the global rights to a phase III-stage gene therapy for the blood disorder hemophilia B. Under the terms of the agreement, uniQure will complete an ongoing phase III trial of the gene therapy, with topline results expected […] June 26, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Jun 2020 Novozymes Launches Eco-Friendly Umami Flavoring Made with Enzymes As consumers demand more and better plant-based alternatives to meat, the Danish biotech company Novozymes has released an environmentally friendly way of producing umami flavorings using enzymes rather than chemical methods. Umami is the savory taste often associated with cooked meat. This flavor is triggered by an amino acid called glutamic acid, which is often […] June 25, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Jun 2020 Dutch VC Raises €105M to Nurture European Biotech Startups Biogeneration Ventures (BGV) has raised €105M for its fourth early-stage biotech fund, which aims to team up with academic institutions across Europe to create medical biotech companies. The fund, called BGV-IV, exceeded the amount the firm expected to raise. It attracted investors in previous funds back to the table such as the US big pharma […] June 24, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Jun 2020 Epidarex Capital Targets UK Biotech with €112M Venture Fund The transatlantic life science VC Epidarex Capital has closed its third fund at a value of €112.7M, which will be used to build new biotech companies from emerging hubs across the UK. The ‘Epidarex Capital III UK LP’ fund is based on a €55.2M (£50M) commitment from the British Business Bank. The remainder comes from […] June 22, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Jun 2020 Swedish Biotech’s Psoriasis Drug Beats Placebo in Phase II A new class of drug developed by the Swedish biotech company Affibody has proved better at treating symptoms of psoriasis than a placebo in a phase II trial, leading the company to develop the candidate for other conditions such as uveitis and psoriatic arthritis. The phase II study enlisted 108 patients with psoriasis, a chronic […] June 22, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Wilson Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 22 Jun 2020 The Age of Agrochemicals is Ending: It’s Time for Agricultural Biotechnology As Europe moves to reduce its reliance on agrochemicals in the farming system over the next 10 years and beyond, a crucial question emerges: what replaces them? Agricultural biotechnology could provide the answer. The use of agrochemicals — pesticides, fertilizers, and plant growth enhancers — has been crucial to humanity over the last century. They’ve […] June 22, 2020 - 9 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Jun 2020 Cancer Drug Inspired by Sea Animal Gets FDA Green Light The Spanish company PharmaMar’s stock price has shot up by 30% as its cancer drug lurbinectedin was given accelerated approval for the second-line treatment of metastatic small cell lung cancer in the US this week. Lurbinectedin will be marketed under the brand name Zepzelca and will be made commercially available in the US in early […] June 19, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Manuela Callari Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Jun 2020 Belgian mRNA Vaccine for Covid-19 Receives €34M Series B Boost Belgian biotech eTheRNA has secured €34M in Series B funding to progress to the clinic its Covid-19 vaccine candidate and cancer immunotherapies made from messenger RNA. The company’s five existing investors contributed to the round, including Dutch VC firm LSP, and the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, based in Germany. Four new investors also contributed — […] June 18, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 17 Jun 2020 €30M Series A to Fund Spanish Biotech’s Anti-Metastasis Cancer Drug A Series A round closed by Barcelona-based startup Ona Therapeutics will finance the preclinical development of a drug that prevents cancer from spreading in the body by targeting the metabolism of cancer cells. The round was supported by returning investor Asabys Partners, as well as new European investors including Alta Life Sciences, Bpifrance, Fund+, and […] June 17, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 17 Jun 2020 German Government Invests €300M in mRNA Biotech CureVac The Federal Republic of Germany will invest €300M in CureVac, the homegrown biotech that is developing a vaccine for Covid-19 using messenger RNA technology. The unusually large investment will be made through the state-owned bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, which will gain a 23% stake in the company. “CureVac retains complete operational and strategic independence,” Franz-Werner […] June 17, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 17 Jun 2020 How is European Biotech Rising to the Covid-19 Testing Challenge? Diagnostics have been thrown into the spotlight in the Covid-19 pandemic because of their instrumental role in preventing further infections. However, developing a test for Covid-19 isn’t an easy task. What exactly is needed to make a good Covid-19 test, and how are European biotech companies working to fill this need? While the development of […] June 17, 2020 - 10 minutesmins - By Mark Livingstone Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 16 Jun 2020 UK Startup Bags €37M to Remove Cell Therapy Manufacturing Bottleneck UK biotech startup Bit Bio has received €36.9M in Series A funding to boost the manufacturing efficiency of human cells for use in cell therapy and drug discovery. The impressive deal brings Bit Bio’s total funding to €44.4M since it was spun off from the University of Cambridge in 2016. It’s the second-largest Series A […] June 16, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email